Linux services

We love Linux and use it for development, deployment of our systems and hosting solutions. We have been working with Linux and, prior, Unix-based operating systems for over 25 years.

The majority of servers that provide web services run Linux; chances are, when you navigate your browser to a website you're connecting to a Linux server that's delivering pages, handling your data and processing your payment.

Linux can be deployed as a dependable, high performance alternative to other solutions throughout your organisation, home or office. Total cost of ownership (TCO) is vastly reduced since the Linux OS itself has no-cost; it's free & open source and remaining costs are installation, configuration and maintenance from a Linux professional/organisation.

In-house, we use Linux Mint on our desktops and Ubuntu Server on our servers. Our hosting partners use Centos and Cloudlinux and we are happy to support and configure any Redhat or Debian based distributions. Tap/click below to visit their sites:

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  Linux Mint
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  Ubuntu
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  Centos
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  Debian

Servers

As Linux is reliable, proven and performs well, ongoing support costs are typically negligible. Linux servers and microservers (eg. Network storage - NAS) are known to run for many years and need little maintenance beyond straightforward installation of updates. Failing hardware or major configurational changes are the usual reasons for maintenance and support.

Desktops

Linux offers an excellent alternative to other desktop operating systems with some attractive benefits. Though not totally immune to the threat of viruses or malware, practically speaking Linux desktops are not affected by the overwhelming majority and can be run without the need for questionable and resource-hogging anti-virus, anti-malware and other such software. Linux desktops typically outperform other operating systems on equivalent hardware and maintain that performance over time.

We're one of the foremost providers of Linux solutions and expertise in the South West of the UK. Whether you're an individual curious about Linux as an alternative desktop or an organisation looking for desktop or server Linux solutions or support, don't hesitate to get in touch. If you have a more specialist requirement involving legacy Unix-based systems; AIX, HPUX or SCO for example, we can help with that too.

Professional Audio

Together with our partners, we have in-house a range of professional audio skills, equipment and software. Our experience with digital audio, MIDI and computer-based production totals over 20 years and we have been retained for a variety of projects.

We are able to offer a range of pro-audio services including:

• Audio recording facilities and equipment
• Mixing, Production and Post-production
• Transfer from Vinyl/Cassette/other with Audio restoration
• Professional Mastering
• Forensic analysis

As an example of our work in this area, the recently completed flamenco fusion album "Ojos de la Tierra" by Mark Barnwell. For this album, we consulted on the recording (instruments were recorded on location around the globe). We then mixed, produced and mastered the finished product at our Plymouth production studio to glass-master stage, ready for mass production.

Hosting

Our hosting partner's services are so good we offer them directly. Whether virtual private or dedicated servers, we're competitive and can take care of the details with our Managed, technically-supported hosting packages.

We offer Shared, VPS, Dedicated or Rackspace hosting options with the necessary bandwidth, failover and security for your project, system or product.

Whatever your hosting requirements, from a simple web-site to complex content-delivery or mission-critical business applications, we can deliver. Prices start at £12 monthly for managed hosting (includes backup, configuration and support) or £5 per month for self-managed solutions. A discount is applied when hosting is provided as part of a body of development work.

Photography, Images & Post-production

We are able to offer a range of photographic services directly and through our partners.

Photography

Whether location or studio work, modelling, landscape or creative/artistic photography, we have it covered. Rates vary depending upon requirements and are more attractive as the size of work and/or time involved increases.

Studio photography typically starts at £50 per hour and location work is charged at the same rate with an additional cost to cover the travel, time and logistics involved.

Stock images/photography

We work with companies such as iStockPhoto when the use of stock photography is appropriate. Stock photography is used when image assets are needed for marketing literature, corporate branding and as part of website design.

Stock photography is typically a lower-cost option and comes with the risk of weakened identity through the use of images that are also used by other companies and organisations.

Rates vary; we establish a set of criteria to curate a set of images that are appropriate for your needs and quote on this basis. Our starting price for this service is £80.

Photographic Post-production

In addition to the use of industry-standard software tools, we have over 20 years' experience with them. We can offer almost any image post-production service you may require, as a stand-alone service or as part of your web-design package.

In this example, we've naturally improved a photo (sourced from a cameraphone) with: Eye restoration (using another photo of the same person), contrast adjustment, removal of shadows, tooth whitening, skin 'powdering' and smoothing, fine line/wrinkle smoothing, skin-flash taming, overall softening and warming.

Prices start at £45, with discounts for package or bulk processing. Image post-production services we offer include:

• Photographic retouching: "airbrushing", skin softening, bags/wrinkles/fine line and blemish removal, natural or artistic enhancement
• Image enhancement: colour balance, contrast & sharpening/softening
• Restoration: cleaning up damaged or aged images
• Editing: removal or compositing of elements within an image
• Creative enhancement: vignettes, depth-of-field and both subtle & dramatic image effects

Copywriting & Language

First impressions matter. We understand the importance of written communication and appropriate use of language for your web-presence, marketing literature and organisation's identity.

In-house we bring a high degree of written language expertise to your project or organisation, helping to shape perceived identity and create the right tone. We have experience with authoring and editing academic, literary, marketing and brand copy. Whether your requirement is for editing, polish or ground-up creation we have it covered, even if it has little to do with online presence.

We are, therefore, happy to engage in the editing of:

1. Copy for web, marketing, and brand-identity
2. Technical documentation/copy in the fields of computing, technology, music, music technology and audio production.
3. Undergraduate or postgraduate thesis, journal articles
4. Literature (fiction and non-fiction)
5. Legal, Scientific or Technical documentation in other specialist fields (light editing)
6. Poetry and creative writing (with our partners)

In the case of (1) and (2) above, we are happy to construct copy/documentation from scratch.

Translation

Recognising the global reach that is possible online, we work with our partners to provide the same standard of copy in any language you may require - even if the content is legal or technical in nature.

Rates vary depending upon the specifics of your requirement; per-page, per-word or per-hour with an up-front estimate for any body of work. A discount is applied when translation, copywriting or editing is provided as part of a wider work package.

Technical Consultancy

Working for over 25 years in the design and implementation of technology solutions across a wide range of business, government, military and education sectors, we are keen to bring our experience to your project, product or organisation.

In addition to expertise, review, advice and guidance, our technical consulting is about "doing"; we're not shy about getting involved if your technical challenge hits a roadblock, partway through or at its inception.

The skills we bring span Systems analysis & design, Programming, Technical infrastructure and Creative technologies. We're quite particular about details so the conversation always starts with our understanding your exact requirements. Doing so allows us to consider the factors that are important to you, common examples being Usability, Performance, Security and Reliability.

As the conversation continues, your staff will better understand the nature of your own technical challenges, gaining insight into how best to develop and progress a solution which balances cost, features, flexibility and future growth objectives. Part of process may involve developing a prototype or sandbox example of proposed solutions with training/tuition so your team can continue its development to full implementation.

You may have existing legacy systems and technologies that need to be modernised or replaced. Your team may be well-versed in the operation and maintenance of these systems but be struggling with knowing how to transition towards a more modern approach. We love these kinds of challenges and bring our array of experience to meet them.

Our diverse experience includes:

• Programming (web, client): HTML/CSS, Javascript, Bootstrap/Foundation/UIKit, jQuery, AngularJS, BackboneJS
• Programming (web, server): PHP (CI/Cake/Yii, Laravel), Python, Ruby
• Programming (modern): C/C++, Objective-C, C#, Python, SQL (various), Java (SE/Android), Shell-scripting (Bash/KSH/CSH), COBOL
• Programming (legacy): Assembler (multi-arch), Pascal, Modula-2, Lisp, POP-11, Delphi, FORTH, Fortran
• Systems Analysis & Design: SSADM, UML, Agile (various), CASE
• Communications: Implementation of full stack systems (low-level), protocols, email system design, compression & encryption systems
• Infrastructure: Design, deployment, configuration and administration of networking, routing, firewall, wireless, mobile data systems
• Server: Configuration and administration (Linux, Unix & Microsoft NT thru Server 2003)
• Desktop: Linux, Windows & OSX configuration and administration, security & performance optimisation
• Low level: Data recovery, data migration (legacy & modern), filesystem reconstruction, forensic data analysis
• Audio/Sound & Music: NLE tools: Cubase, Logic, Reaper, Protools. Soundforge, Wavelab, FFMPEG etc.
• 3D modelling: Blender, Bryce, 3DS-Max, Poser, Vue d'Esprit
• Image & Video: Adobe CS, GIMP, Vegas, Premier, Final-Cut

Training & Tuition

We are passionate about technology and its growth in the future. Having seen, in a mere 30 years, its rapid evolution from business automation, through communication and the birth of the internet, to a common place which shape our lives economically, socially and environmentally, the possibilities are limited only by imagination.

Realising imagination requires knowledge, skill and confidence. To that end, we are excited to offer training and tuition to help you build them. Whether for ethical/non-profit, business, academic or certification purposes, we'd love to hear from you.

We are happy to work with individuals or groups small and large, at a location of your choice. Regularly to an agreed syllabus or one-off. Content areas to be covered will be pre-arranged and rates vary depending upon specific requirements.